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ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 

A. P. 0. 741 

Col. C. M. Wesson, Commanding Officer 
Lt. Col. A. G. Gillespie, Military Dept. 
Lt. Col. A. B. Hubard, Inspection Dept. 
Lt. Col. W. W. Doe, Shops Dept. 

Maj. G. S. Brady, Administration Dept. 
Maj. J. E. Ericson, Salvage Dept. 

Maj. O. V. Dodge, Stores Dept. 

Capt. W. F. French, Adjutant 




HISTORY 
of 

Ordnance Repair Shops 

MEHUN-SUR-YEVRE, FRANCE 


Kdited by 

MAJOR GEORGE S. BRADY 


A history of the construction and operation of the 
Base Ordnance Repair Plant and Storehouses 
at Mehun-sur-Yevre and the story of 
the organization and distribution 
of the Ordnance personnel 
of the A. E. F. 


ILLUSTRATED 


Printed at Government Shop by Ordnance Troops 
Mehun-sur-Yevre, France 
1919 



b7 

JUL 30 1919 




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HISTORY OF ORDNANCE 
REPAIR SHOPS 

CHAPTER I 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 


T he ordnance repair shops, Camp U. S. Troops, 
A. P. O. 741, known as Atelier de Mehun-sur-Yevre, are 
located at the village of Beauvoir, near the town of Mehun (Cher) 
on the main line of the P. & O. R. R., which was the main line 
of communication for the A. E. F. 

The total area covered by these shops is twenty-two acres, there 
being in all thirteen buildings, eight large shops, and five smaller 
buildings. All of the buildings, with the exception of the Laundry, 
are of steel frame construction with corrugated iron siding and roofs, 
the roofs being covered with Rubberoid. Six of the eight larger 
buildings are of the modern monitor type structure, bolted together 
instead of riveted, in order that, should the occasion arise, the 
buildings could be taken down and moved within a short time. 
The Laundry is of frame construction covered with corrugated iron. 
The floors of all buildings are of firmly packed earth, with the 
exception of the Administration Building and the Laundry, both 
of these having concrete floors. 

There is approximately one hundred and thirty acres of park¬ 
ing area, all of which has been used to park temporarily enemy 
and allied caissons, limbers, guns, salvage and various other mate¬ 
rial whichcould not 
be conveniently 
housed. 

Buildings 

Gun Shops Nos. 

1 and 2 have a to¬ 
tal floor space of 
294,000 sq. 

Gun Shop No. 1 is 
equipped with five 
ten-ton cranes and 
one fifteen - ton 
crane, and Gun Shop No. 2 has seven ten-ton cranes. Some 
machinery had been installed in Gun Shop No. 1, but a portion 
of this shop is still incomplete, the structural material necessary 
for its completion having been lost on a torpedoed ship, and al¬ 
though the material was replaced, the armistice had stopped all 
construction work before it could be erected. 

The Reamer Shop is located between Gun Shops No. 1 and 2, 
and has a floor space of 43,200 sq. ft. A few lathes and grinders 
were installed, but were never put into operation. In addition, 
two sub-stations are located in this building, one containing two 
motor generator sets complete while the other has only a switch¬ 
board in for direct current. 

The Artillery Repair Shop has a floor space of 113,000 sq. feet, 
over one-half of which is occupied by machinery. Nearly all the 
machines which were to have been installed in this building have 
been placed, and have been in operation. Approximately two 
hundred machines are installed and range from the largest and 
heaviest lathes, planers, boring mills, shapers, millers and gear 
cutters, down to the finest precision machines. This shop 
is also equipped with four ten-ton cranes, two of which operate 


in one bay, to facilitate the handling of extra heavy work. 

The Small Arms Shop has a floor space of 120,000 sq. ft., 
approximately one-fourth of which is used by the Optical Repair 
Division. No machines are installed in this Division, only work¬ 
benches and tables being necessary to do the work. However, the Shop 
has sufficient equipment to take care of the tearing down, pickling, 
polishing arid greasing of small arms. This equipment includes 
four large steam boilers, several batteries of buffers, a battery of 
sand blasts and a large number of pickling vats. A gravity roller 
system is used throughout to handle the work. 

The Forge and Foundry Shop has a floor space of 39,200 sq. ft. 
This shop has twelve furnaces, three hammers, two drill presses and 
a few other miscellaneous machines installed. 

The Woodworking Shop has a floor space of 64,000 sq. feet. 
This shop has nearly all of the machinery installed, as originally 
planned, and has been operating continuously since the installation. 

Warehouses Nos. 3 and 4 have a total floor space of 240,000 sq. 
ft.. Warehouse No. 4 having sufficient shelving space to take care 
of an enormous quantity of supplies. The Administration Building 
covers an area of 10,400 sq. ft., and contains the offices of five of 

the Departments 
of the camp. It 
also houses the 
drafting room and 
a completely 
equipped printing 
shop. 

The Laundry, 
covering an area of 
1920 sq. ft., was 
originally built as 
a bath house for 
use of the soldiers 
employed in the plant, but is now equipped with one complete set 
of American laundry machinery of the latest type, and takes care 
of the washing for all the men in camp. 

One other steel building, having a floor area of 1,600 sq. ft., is 
used by the plant Construction and Maintenance Division as a 
combined Plumbing, Tinning and Paint Shop. 

Organi%atmi 

The Camp is divided into six Departments: Military, Admin¬ 
istration, Shops, Supply, Inspection and Salvage, each a complete 
unit in itself, but all harmonizing into one complete organization. 

The Military Department takes care of the housing, messing, 
clothing and entertainment of the men of the camp, and keeps all 
military records. 

The Administration Department acts as the auxiliary unit for 
the entire plant, and is charged with the maintenance of facilities 
and records for the co-ordination of the other Departments. -It is 
composed of six Divisions: File and Record, Engineering, Shops 
Personnel, Trucking, Motor Transportation and Laundry. The 
File and Records Division maintains general files, a mail control 




4 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



ENEMY ARTILLERY PARKED AT THE ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


and distribution system, and a messenger service. The Engineering 
Division plans and authorizes all work, keeps records of its progress, 
makes all drawings and blueprints, and also has attached to it a 
complete printing establishment. The Shops Personnel Division 
oversees the requirements and distribution of the personnel, keeps 
a record of each man, and takes charge of all other personnel ques¬ 
tions. The Truckingand Motor Transportation Divisions maintain 
transportation, the former within the plant, and the latter outside 
the plant. 

The Shops Department is in charge of cleaning, repairing and 
preparing for shipment all material arriving at this Post, and of 


the manufacture of any new material. It is made up of six 
Divisions: Artillery Repair, Small Arms and Machine Gun, 
Woodworking, Optical Repair, Construction and Maintenance, 
and Electrical, each of which are further divided into sections. 
The Artillery Repair Division handles all artillery, the sizes rang¬ 
ing from 340 mm. to 37 mm., and in addition takes charge of all 
battery equipment and artillery accessories. The Machine Shop 
also comes under its head. The Small Arms and Machine Gun 
Division overhauls, repairs, crates, and prepares for shipment all 
machine guns, rifles, pistols and revolvers, all hand arms, and 
small arms accessories. The Woodworking Division manufactures 



MAP OF THE COUNTRY SURROUNDING THE ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 















































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


5 



the crates and boxes for the shipment of all 
material, and any other woodworking material as 
called upon. The Optical Repair Division is 
charged with the preservation, repairing and ship¬ 
ment of all fire control and optical instruments. 

The Construction and Maintenance and Electri¬ 
cal Divisions are auxiliary in their nature, the first 
in charge of the upkeep of the plant, and any new 
construction which may be necessary, while the 
latter installs and maintains all electrical equip¬ 
ment including the telephone system. 

The Supply Department is charged not only 
with supplying this plant with working materials, 
but also the maintenance of records of all material 
received and shipped, all storage facilities, property 
accountability, and acts as one of the General Ord¬ 
nance Supply Depots for the A. E. F. TheTrans- 
portation Division of this department oversees all 
yard operations, and takes charge of checking. 

The Inspection Department inspects and recom¬ 
mends all necessary repairs on all material, and is 
responsible for the proper condition of all material 
before shipment. It is made up of an Artillery 
Inspection Division, a Small Arms Inspection Division, and a 
Reports Division. This latter Division keeps a complete record of 
the condition of each gun passing through the plant, and makes a 
report of all enemy material received and the special features of each. 


OVERHAUUNG AMERICAN ARTILLERY 

The Salvage Department takes charge of the reclamation and 
disposition of all salvaged material. This includes selling, destroy¬ 
ing, shipping and otherwise disposing of the large quantity of 
salvage received from the front. 


CHAPTER II 

HISTORY 


'T'HE provision of Ordnance repair facilities for the American 
Forces in France was the purpose contemplated by the Chief 
of Ordnance in Office Order No. 47, which established the Divi¬ 
sions of American Ordnance Base Depot in France. Col. D. M. 
King was relieved from duty at Rock Island Arsenal in July, 1917, 
and ordered to Washington to take charge of the project, and 
directed to proceed with the design and procurement of the neces¬ 
sary buildings, machinery and equipment, and to secure the 
personnel required for operating the various shops and establish¬ 
ments then proposed. It had been learned through the French 
High Commission that existing shops or facilities would not be 
sufficient for the repair of the Ordnance material for the 


American Expeditionary Forces in very great quantities. 

Steps were at once taken to assemble the required commissioned 
personnel, and, in order to expedite the design and purchase of 
material, contracts were negotiated early in August with the firm 
of Stone & Webster, of Boston. They at once opened offices in 
the building occupied by the Division of American Ordnance Base 
Depot in France, and the preliminary work which the undertaking 
involved was promptly begun. 

The project, at its inception, contemplated the erection, at a 
point then undetermined, of a complete Ordnance establishment, 
which would combine at one center, repair and warehousing 
facilities, approximately thirty-eight buildings, estimated to 
cost in the neighborhood of twenty-five million 
dollars when erected and equipped. As soon as 
the tentative plans were completed three officers 
were dispatched to France, September, 1917, with 
instructions to submit the project to the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, and to return -as promptly as 
possible with the information required to coiiiplete 
that part of the work that must of necessity be 
done in the United States. In the meantime, the 
procurement of the buildings, machinery, equip¬ 
ment and materials was actively underway. The 
organization was being perfected, and the commis¬ 
sioned personnel was being carefully selected and 
assembled. On October 22, 1917, the first ship¬ 
ment of material was made from the United States, 
consisting of one steel warehouse. 

By November, 1917, plans were well under way, 
and a good idea existed of the personnel which 
would be required to run the plants as projected. 
A large number of officers had been selected and 
assigned for duty with the Division. • Schools were 



OVERHAULING GERMAN ARTILLERY, GUN SHOP No. 2 


























6 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 




started at Rock Island, W’atervliet and Frankford 
Arsenals to familiarize all these reserve officers with 
artillery and arsenal methods. It developed that 
enlisted personnel would not be available from other 
sources, and officers were sent out to various parts 
of the country for the purpose of recruiting men of 
mechanical training. About 9,000 men were en¬ 
listed in the Ordnance Department for this Division 
during the months of November and December. 

As many of these men as possible were sent to the 
Arsenal Schools. Xhe remaining men were sent 
to camps where accommodations could be found 
for them. 

The work of design was practically completed, 
and the plant when completed was expected to con¬ 
sist of the following buildings : 

1 Carriage Assembly Shop. 240x500 ft. 

1 Carriage Machine Shop. 226x500 “ 

1 Woodworking Shop.. 200x320 ft. 

1 Forge and Foundry... . 160x245 “ 

2 Gun Shops, each.. 245x600 “ 

1 Reamer Shop.. .. 182x240 “ 

1 Tractor Shop.. 245x620 “ 

1 Tractor Shop 122x580 “ 

1 Tank Repair Shop.. . 245x620 “ 

1 Small Arms Shop . . . 240x600 “ 

6 Warehouses . . 240x500 “ 

About fifty orders for building materials, totalling about 
$3,500,000 had been placed. 


42-cm. german howitzer ON TRANSPORT WAGON 

The mechanical layouts required forty-two 50 H. P. oil engines 
and six 100 H. P. oil engines of the Semi-Deisel type for power 
and light, forty travelling electric cranes in the machine shops, 220 
jib cranes, 350 I-beam trolleys and 400 small hoists. Ten miles 
of track, 400 cars and 200 turn tables were to be used for the 
industrial railways in the storehouses. About seventy-five mechan¬ 
ical orders involving about $1,100,000 had been placed. 

The machinery and equipment consisted of about 1,800 
machine tools of w’hich about 98 per cent, had been ordered 
by January, 1918, on 350 orders amounting to about $4,500,000. 

In addition, about 1,700 orders for material 
and construction equipment had been placed 
amounting to about $10,500,000. These orders 
constituted about 90 per cent, of all the build¬ 
ings, machinery, equipment, etc., and this mate¬ 
rial was reaching the port well in advance of the 
^ capacity for shipment overseas. By December 18, 
1917, ninety days after the first order was placed, 
15,000 tons of the 24,000 tons of structural steel 
ordered up to that time had been delivered at the 
seaboard. Representatives of Stone & Webster 
had then been in France several months to arrange 
for the receipt and care of material on arrival, and 
to prepare for the active prosecution of the con¬ 
struction work, which, however, they were only 
permitted to supervise, as all construction work 
was taken over by the Engineer Corps. 

Colonel King, accompanied by a group of 35 
officers, sailed for France on February 18, 1918, 
with the intention of actively undertaking the erec¬ 
tion of the shops and equipment then arriving. 


RECOIL MECHANISM FOR 42-CM. GERMAN HOWITZER ON TRANSPORT WAGON 



21-cm. german railway MOUNT, OVERHAULED AT THE ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS AND SENT TO THE UNITED STATES 








































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


7 


He left in the United States a sufficient organization to complete 
the work of purchase and shipment. There had already sailed as 
much of the enlisted personnel as it was possible to dispatch under 
the A. E. F. program, and other units were organized and await¬ 
ing the priority schedule for the shipment of troops. 

Co?istruction Begms 

Plant A, located at 
Is-sur-Tille, having 
been begun during the 
winter of ’17-T8, and 
tlie location of Plant B, 
having been secured at 
Mehun, the first materi¬ 
al arrived here on Jan¬ 
uary 28th, 1918, consist¬ 
ing of 8 carloads, com¬ 
ing from St. Nazaire. 

On January 30th, 

1918, three Stone & 

Webster construction 
men arrived in camp at 
Beauvoir, near Mehun- 
sur-Yevre, to start work 
on “Plant B’’ of the 
original American Ord¬ 
nance Base Depot pro¬ 
ject. Capt. H. Austin 
with Company D, 501st 

Engineers, had already started work on laying 
track and had layed about 600 feet. The first 
material was unloaded from the cars from the 
main line of the railroad. 

The French track gang connected the yards 
to the main line of railroad on Februarv 15th. 

Warehouse No. 1 was staked out on February 
16th. Thirty-seven cars of material had ar¬ 
rived and were unloaded up to this date. On 
February 27th, Captain Austill turned over 
twenty-five enlisted men to the Stonp & Webster 
engineers, and they were placed at work on the 
excavation of Warehouse No. 4. Fivehundred 
Chinamen arrived in camp on February 28th, 
and began on March 2nd the excavation for the 
foundation for Gun Shop No. 2. Major Fin- 
nell, of the 501st Engineers, arrived at the 
camp- on March 1st, and took charge of oper¬ 
ations. Lieut.-Colonels Ricker and Fulton, 

Ordnance officers, arrived on March 1st, but 
the camp remained in charge of the Engineers. 


On March 30th, the concrete foundations for Warehouse No. 4 
were completed and those for the Carriage Assembly Shop were 
about half finished. The excavation for Gun Shop No. 1 was 
complete and'the erection of the steel for Warehouse No. 4 was 
started. An Ordnance officer was placed in charge of this work. 

A steam shovel was 
operating at this time, 
and approximately 400 
men were engaged in 
the work of building the 
plant, a large number 
of these men, however, 
were being used to un¬ 
load cars because of the' 
fact that material was 
arriving faster than it 
could be conveniently 
handled, especially a 
large amount of machin¬ 
ery which was not to be 
installed until the erec¬ 
tion had been com¬ 
pleted. 

Two hundred and 
fifty Ordnance men. 
Company C, Second 
Battalion, arrived on 
April 13th and were put 
to workon construction. 
On April 27th, all the sheet iron work on Ware¬ 
house No. 4 had been completed and during 
the following week so much of the interior 
grading had been done that the Ordnance men 
began the storage of material in it. At this 
time there were about 600 men employed on 
the work, 225 Ordnance men, 75 Engineers and 
Labor troops and about 300 Chinamen. 

The filing of orders for Ordnance material 
for other points in France was begun early in 
April. About April 12th, Lieut.-Col. Ricker 
was relieved from duty at the camp and Lieut .'- 
Col. Fulton was placed in charge of the Ord¬ 
nance Detachment. About April 25th, two Ord¬ 
nance men were put to work on storehouse rec¬ 
ords and six men checking in the yards. April 
30th Capt. J. E. Ericson took charge of the 
organization of a receiving and shipping store¬ 
house. It was found that a large number of 
items w'hich had been ordered for the Base 
Depot work had not been included in the 



OVERHAULING 75-mm. GUNS AT THE ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



REPAIRING OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS 









m&MSi 




U-S. ARMY 14-in. RAILWAY GUN. BUILT AT WATERTOWN ARSENAL, WEIGHT OVER 500 TONS 






































































8 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



Ordnance Supply Tables, and as urgent de¬ 
mands for this material came in from the more 
advanced repair shops, and M. O. R. S. organ¬ 
izations, it was found that this material could 
be obtained from these shops only, and thus a 
large amount of material was diverted to fill 
this demand. A system was organized for 
talcing care of the large quantity of machinery, 
tools, and equipment which was arriving daily. 

The task of unloading this material without 
the proper equipment was a big one, so a 
Bucyrus Steam Shovel was rigged up as a 
locomotive crane. A little later, when a fifteen- 
ton locomotive crane arrived and was erected, 
the labor engaged in this work was greatly 
relieved. 

The work of storing and protecting the in¬ 
coming material was carried out under very 
adverse conditions. There were no roads, the 
railroad tracks were in a deplorable state, due 
to the mud and lack of ballast. As a result 
practically all incoming freight had been unloaded wherever the 
cars could be spotted with the least danger of being derailed, and 
was scattered over acres of ground. 

The task to be accomplished was to gather the material from 
along the tracks and store it systematically and in such a 
manner that it could be easily located in order to satisfy the 
increasing demand for shipment to advanced shops which were in 
operation and badly in need of various tools and raw material. All 
the boxes were plainly marked with purchase order number, the 
package number, weight, cubic contents and manufacturer’s or 
shipper’s name, all for the purpose of identification, but as no 
order lists or package lists were available at first, it was 
necessary to open every lot. Material was shipped daily by freight, 
express and trucks and it was found very difficult to fill orders 


OVERHAULING 155-MM. HOWITZERS AT THE ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 

promptly when they constituted less than a carload, as the French 
railroad authorities demanded that the cars be loaded to capacity. 
In spite of these difficulties, twenty-five machine shops at various 
places were equipped and furnished raw material from these stores 
and much raw material and tool equipment was furnished to 
the Mobile Ordnance Repair Shops. 

Concentration Camp Formed 

On May 20th, 180 enlisted men of the Signal Corps arrived in 
the Camp; and on May 25th, 750 men of the 318th Engineers ar¬ 
rived. One hundred and fifty of the Chinese workmen were with¬ 
drawn at this time. On June 1st the number of men in the camp 
totaled about 1,600. About the end of May Lieut.-Colonel A. V. 
Maish conceived the idea of having all Ordnance men, except those 


















HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


9 



actually with army units, sent to this camp from 
the ports for classification and distribution to points 
where needed. It was hoped that by making the 
camp a distribution point, the services of the men 
could be utilized on the construction work while 
they were waiting classification and assignment. 

Under this arrangement the 3rd Ordnance Battalion 
of 650 men arrived in camp on June 15th. They 
were quartered in Warehouse No. 4, which was 
then roofed over, and they were placed at work on 
the steel construction, and on the unboxing and 
cleaning of machinery. 

During the month of July, Ordnance Depot 
Companies, 22, 23 and 24, and the 4th Battalion, 
totaling in all about 1,100 men arrived on the post. 

All these men were interviewed and catalogued 
according to trade qualifications, and orders from 
the office of the Chief Ordnance Officer for trades¬ 
men for Ordnance Shops and the field armies were 
filled from this personnel. 

Considerable extra work was realized from this 
plan of a classification camp, but it was found to 
have many drawbacks. Men were withdrawn from the construc¬ 
tion work for transfer with only a day’s notice, thus breaking up 
work gangs. Usually the best men were picked to fill orders, 
resulting very often in the gang bosses and skilled mechanics being 
taken from the work, making organization of work very difficult. 
This matter was brought to a head in August, when the 27th Depot 
Company arrived followed by orders for more men than the Com¬ 
pany contained, and Depot Companies 32 to 39 with about 1,800 
men followed at once by orders for 1,500 men for immediate ship¬ 
ment, so great was the need for Ordnance men at the front. 

During this month of August about 2,000 Ordnance men arrived 
at the Post while orders were filled for 2,279, usually in small lots 
of less than fifteen. Request was made to the Chief Ordnance 


ONE OF THE MACHINE BAtS IN THE ARTILLERY REPAIR SHOP 

Officer to allot enough men for a permanent force at the Shops to 
take care of the supply and messing of these large number of tran¬ 
sient men, and to provide enough skilled tradesmen to maintain a 
skeleton organization on the Post. This request was granted, and 
approximately 900 men were set aside for this purpose. These were 
formed into three companies: a Headquarters Company of 400 men, 
a Mechanics Company of 450 men, and a skeleton organization of 
a Casual company. This latter was to receive the casuals of the 
provisional companies arriving from the States and being broken 
up here. Later two more casual companies were formed. 

During June the work of erecting steel, and of roofing the Car¬ 
riage Assembly Shop was being done by Ordnance enlisted men 
under the supervision of Ordnance Officers. The erection of Gun 

























10 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



Shop No. 1 was being done by some of the 
501st Engineers in charge of an Ordnance Officer. 

Most of the Engineers, including the Chinese at¬ 
tached were employed almost continuously on the 
roads and railroad tracks. 

The Ordnance {personnel consisted of the skilled 
mechanics enlisted by the Ordnance Base Depot 
Division in November and December, 1917. How¬ 
ever, about the 1st of June one company of the 
38th Engineers, electricians, and one battalion of 
the 318th Engineers, construction men, arrived and 
did excellent work. The 318th Engineers remained 
in camp only five weeks. A Negro labor battalion 
of the 525th Engineers arrived about the 1st of 
August. Some of these Negroes were put to work 
on the roofing under the supervision of Ordnance 
officers. Nearly all of the skilled labor, including 
most of that used on the power line to Bourges, 
was furnished from the Ordnance companies. 

Machines and Equipment Installed 

The original project for the American Ord¬ 
nance Base Depot, called for about 1,800 machines 
of all kinds. These were for “Plant A’’ at Is-Sur-Tille, “Plant 
B’’ at Mehun, and for the various smaller shops at other points in 
France. The first machines arrived at the Mehun Plant during 
the last week in March. In June a small temporary machine shop 
was started to take care of the needs of the construction men, but 
the permanent buildings were not ready for any machinery instal¬ 
lation until the middle of July. By that time many of the machines 
had been reshipped to other points, but before the Armistice had 
been signed overdOO machines of all kinds had been set up and placed 
in service. At that time five well equipped shops were in operation. 

About the middle of July the work of setting up the machinery 
and shafting in the Carriage Machine Shop was begun. The 
lumber taken from the boxes was used to build the forms for the 


THE ORDNANCE BAND 

concrete foundations. The stringers for the overhead shafting were 
made from railroad ties. In spite of the shortage of cement, and 
the great handicap of constantly shifting personnel, there was 
installed ready for operation before Sept. 1st, approximately 130 
machines, and 30 more were in the shop being set up. All the 
overhead line shafting was complete. As the electric power from 
Bourges could not be obtained for at least another month, it was 
decided to install oil engines. The shop was divided into four 
sections, each of which was furnished with a 50 H. P. Bessemer 
Oil Engine. These w'ere ready to run on Sept. 15th. Production 
work was immediately started, several repair jobs were done and 
some tools made. The first official order from Ordnance Head¬ 
quarters was for a magneto gear, which was placed in the Machine 



LOADING SALVAGED SHELL CASES FOR SHIPMENT 



























HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


11 



FRENCH WOMEN CLEANING MACHINE GUNS FOR SHIPMENT TO THE UNITED STATES 


Shop on September 24th. Up to November 11th 
there were sixty-nine machines installed in the 
Wood Shop and ninety-three men w'ere employed. 

This shop was then taking care of all the camp 
and plant carpenter work except erecting barracks, 
was making and repairing small arms boxes, and 
had begun production work on orders from 
Ordnance Headquarters. 

During the month of August the Carriage 
Assembly Shop was being used partly to quarter 
Ordnance Troops and partly for the unboxing and 
storage of machine tools. On Sept. 7th, it was 
determined to use seven bays, approximately 34,000 
sq. ft., for the repair of small arms. The space 
had to be cleared of machinery and graded. No 
lumber was available for work benches other than 
that salvaged from the machine tool boxes. It 
was found that a great deal of the equipment 
which had been ordered for the Small Arms Shop 
had either not arrived or had been shipped to 
other shops in France. Part of the Parkerizing 
Plant for the bluing of the rifle parts had gone to 
Is-sur-Tille and most of the acids had been shipped to that plant. 
On the 14th of October actual production work had been started 
with 58 men dismantling rifles and preparing the rifle parts for 
cleaning and bluing. Spare parts for the model 1903 rifle were 
received from Gievres in such quantities that assembling of these 
rifles was begun about the 20th of October. Up to November 
11th, or less than a month from the start of the work, a total of 
39,000 rifles and 122 Browning Machine Guns had been repaired 
or assembled and shipped. The force had by this time increased 
to 320 men. 

The first week in September work was started on the installation 
of machinery in the Forge and Foundry. Lack of cement halted 
work on the cupola, but the work of installation of Forge Shop 
machinery progressed until the signing of the Armistice. As soon 
as some hand forges were set up early in October, production work 
was started, and during this month all the forging was done for 
fifty complete sets of mobile shop tools for repair of 75 and 155 mm. 
guns. Thesetools included some heavy forged steel wrenches. The 


hardening of lathe and planer tools for the machine shop and con¬ 
siderable case hardening was done from the beginning. By the 1st 
of November thirteen oil burning furnaces and seven coal forges 
had been set up and put into use. Fifteen other machines, includ¬ 
ing two 200-pound Bradley Helve Hammers and a 2000-pound 
Chamersburg Steam Hammer had been set up ready for operation. 

Electric installation was begun about the first of June by a 
company of the 38th Engineers. Capt. Kutz arrived at that time 
with about seventy men, and shortly after brought the remainder 
of his company. In addition, about thirty Ordnance electricians 
were assigned to assist him in the interior wiring for power and 
lighting. About the middle of August, by an agreement with the 
French, work was begun on the power line to Bourges. Linemen 
from the 38th Engineers with about fifteen electricians and a 
French interpreter from the Ordnance, went to work on this line, 
and aided the French at the Bourges Power Plant. The Plant and 
transmission lines were ready about the 1st of October and the 
power was turned on October 7th. No 30,000 volt insulators were 



155-mm. G. P. F. gun - ho OF THESE WERE OVERHAULED AT THE ORDNA'NCE REPAIR SHOPS 














12 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



available when the line was built, and those in¬ 
stalled were for 16,000 volts. The line is being 
operated at the generating voltage of 5,250. The 
voltage required at the shops is 440 for motors and 
220 for lighting. Before the 1st of November an 
Electrical Division was organized of Ordnance 
Officers and enlisted men to take care of the power, 
lighting and telephones of the entire camp. 

The railroad tracks in the shop yards were laid 
down by the Engineers in the Spring with little, 
if any, grading or ballast. The soil of this sec¬ 
tion is a rich loam with a high percentage of lime. 

Any slight rain produces a pasty mud to a depth 
of several inches. As a consequence of this, the 
unballasted track was constantly sinking, spread¬ 
ing and shifting, and locomotives and cars w'ere 
off the track almost daily. As the tracks became 
absolutely unusable, they would be repaired by 
the Engineers. The truck road from the shops to 
the camp was built by making two furrows with 
the scraper and piling the soft earth in the middle. 

This was an impassable trough of mud after each 
rain, and much labor was wasted in trying to keep 
it in repair. In September Lieut.-Colonel Finnell, of the 501st 
Engineers, then in command of the camp, set a company of in¬ 
fantrymen on the grading of the old Roman road which ran from 
Gun Shop No. 1 in a direction parallel to the camp, meeting an 
old farm lane which ran in the direction of the camp. This route 
nearly doubled the distance from the shops to the camp, and was 
never used by anyone going to the plant. It was abandoned after 
nearly two months labor had been spent on it. 

When the Armistice was signed on November 11th, five shops 
and two complete and distinct warehouses were in operation. The 
number of men actually employed in the shops and warehouses 
totalled 1,044 distributed as follows: Machine Shop 280, Forge 
Shop 135, Woodworking Shop 93, Small Arms Shop 320, Ord¬ 


THE MACHINE ROOM OF THE CAMP LAUNDRY 

nance Shop Warehouse 111, Mehun Supply Depot 60, Office and 
Drafting Room 45. Four hundred and thirty-eight machines w'ere 
actually installed ready for operation in these shops. Since April, 
the Ordnance shop warehouse had been issuing steel and other raw' 
materials to the Mobile Repair Shop units, to the advance shops, 
and camps throughout France. Machinery and general supplies 
originally ordered by the Ordnance Base Depot Division were 
being issued in the same manner. The shops were in operation 
and were ready to do any kind of machine or woodwork except 
the lining of heavy guns. 

Post Armistice Woi'k 

After the signing of the Armistice there w'as a genera! 
cancellation of orders both from Ordnance Headquarters 



i 

! 


VIEW OF ONE CORNER OF THE WOODWORKING SHOP — ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 




































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


13 






REVIEW OF TROOPS BY BRIG. GEN. RICE, CHIEF ORDNANCE OFFICER OF THE A. E. F. 


and of the gun work being undertaken for the 
French Arsenals. As in other A. E. F. camps, 
the work slowed down pending the establishment 
of the general Ordnance policy. Towards the 
end of November it was determined to send all 
artillery to Mehun for overhauling and reshipment 
to the States. Colonel C. M. Wesson arrived 
from Tours on November 23rd to take command 
of the camp. 

A policy was decided upon with Ordnance 
Headquarters at Tours whereby all artillery would 
be overhauled here, but only the 75 mm. and 
smaller sizes would be crated. Instead of rebuild¬ 
ing it was decided to dismantle all unserviceable 
rifles, clean the parts, and pack them in boxes 
for shipment to the States. Lumber for crates and 
boxes began to arrive in quantities early in December. 

The first incoming material from the Armies, 
which consisted of enemy and allied artillery, small arms and a 
large amount of salvage arrived December 6th. Following this 
shipment material arrived daily. As the cars could only be held 
twenty-four hours and because of the poor condition of the yard 
tracks, which were constantly sinking and spreading, it was neces¬ 
sary to unload the material wherever the cars happened to stand 
without regard to future accessibility and convenience. On some 
days as high as 130 cars were received, and often it was necessary 
to take many men from the shop work for the unloading of cars. 
The work was especially difficult due to the serious shortage of 
locomotive cranes, only 
one being available up 
to the latter part of 
April. 

Some salvage was 
stored in the Forge'and 
Foundry building, but 
a considerable amount 
of it was piled outside 
and protected as much 
as possible by tarpau¬ 
lins. The salvage ar¬ 
rived unsorted, very 
expensive optical instru¬ 
ments sometimes being 
found among almost 
worthless small arms or 
other material. The cli¬ 
matic conditions were such that it rained for weeks at a time and 
the entire yard was an expanse of deep sticky -mud, over which it 
was almost impossible to haul the artillery. Tractors were used to 
some extent but without roads the task of getting the artillery into 
the shop to be worked on was very slow and difficult. Because of 
these conditions many more men were used to handle the material 
than would otherwise have been necessary and the work was much 
slower as a consequence. 

After the Armistice a general policy of no further construction 


work except that absolutely necessary was adopted. But in order 
to handle the heavy artillery, which had to be stored in the yards, 
it was necessary to build plank roads through the shops and extend¬ 
ing into the yards to meet the road being built by the 525th 
Engineers from the camp to the shops. 

There was no rock suitable for road construction in the vicinity 
and it was impossible to get it in any considerable quantities from 
the French because of shortage of transportation. Although there 
was sufficient sand at Gievres, it was unavailable for the same 
reason, and would have been of little value without a large amount 

of rock as foundation. 

The only practical 
road which could be 
built in any reasonable 
time was one of planks. 
Before the Armistice no 
wood or railroad ties 
could be obtained for 
this purpose, but in De¬ 
cember sufficient ties 
were released to the 
Engineer officer to build 
the mile of roadway re¬ 
quired. This latter road, 
18 feet wide, was built 
during the months of 
December and January. 
Before its completion it 
was impossible to get nearer than a half a mile of the shops with 
a truck on account of the deep mud. 

The steel Administration Building, which was 75 per cent, complete 
on November 11th was finished in December and the offices of the 
Department heads were concentrated in it. 

Early in December it was necessary to prepare a shop for over¬ 
hauling and cleaning of artillery sights and fire control instruments. 
A space 60 by 80 feet was fitted up, and the work of saving the 
optical instruments and preventing further deterioration was begun 


brig. gen. rice, CHIEF ORDNANCE OFFICER, ADDRESSING TROOPS AT MEHUN 









































14 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 






at once. On the shop constniction and mainten¬ 
ance work a force of about 150 Ordnance men 
was kept. These included the millwrights, 
plumbers and tinners. For maintenance work in 
the camp a force of about 200 colored Ordnance 
men was employed. These men erected barracks, 
built sidewalks, fitted up miscellaneous buildings 
such as Hospital, K. of C., Y. M. C. A., camp 
bath house, delousing plant, and took care of all 
maintenance w'ork in the camp. 

One of the great problems that entered into 
the working of the shops was the changing person¬ 
nel due to the operation of the evacuation camp. 

Ordnance men from the first and second armies 
and from other shops and depots in France were 
sent here for evacuation to the States after they had 
completed their work with their respective units. 

The men began to arrive here early in December. 

The first three evacuation companies were formed 
early in January. The men for these companies 
were selected by a system of rating devised by the 
Chief Ordnance Officer’s Office. It was based on 
length of service, dependents and certain other qualifications. The 
percentages of all in the camp were found and those having the 
highest percentage were drawn. Forty-seven companies, containing 
total of 4,936 men and 105 officers, have been made up and sent 
to the ports up to June 25th. It has placed a great handicap on 
the shop as it often occurs that the men selected were skilled men 
needed on special work. The men selected to convoy material to 
the United States are 
chosen from the same 
percentage list. 

Production on artil¬ 
lery was rapid from the 
beginning, about 700 
men being employed on 
75 mm. guns. As many 
as eighty-five pieces 
were knocked down, 
cleaned and crated in a 
day. In all approxi¬ 
mately 4,500 artillery 
pieces were cleaned, re¬ 
paired, inspected and 
shipped, 2,700 being 
allied material and 1,800 
being enemy. Twelve 
hundred and forty-seven 
allied and 2,351 enemy caissons and limbers were overhauled, 
cleaned and shipped. The following is a list of the allied 
material handled: up to June 1st: 

37 mm. Guns. . 156 

75 ram. Guns, French. . 1891 

75 mm. Guns, British. ... . 18 

75 mm. Guns, U. S. A.. . . 8 

155 mm. Howitzers (Schneider)... 408 


VIEW IN THE CARR 


ANOTHER VIEW IN THE WOODWORKING SHOP 

155 mm. Guns (G. P. F.). 147 

8 in. Howitzers. 99 

9.2 in. Howitzers. . . 24 

4.7 in. Guns. 49 

The Small Arms Shop followed the general policy of dismount¬ 
ing all unserviceable rifles, machine guns and pistols, and of 
cleaning, pickling, greasing and boxing all serviceable parts, while 

all material in service¬ 
able condition was 
thoroughly cleaned, 
greased and boxed for 
shipment. 

Bayonets, sabers, 
scabbards, other hand 
arms and accessories 
were sorted, cleaned, 
greased and packed for 
shipment. German 
rifles and bayonets were 
cleaned, greased and 
sent to the States as 
trophies. This work re¬ 
quired the services of 
approximately 2,096 
employees when at its 

lAGE MACHINE SHOP 1 1A 

. maximum, 1,140 en¬ 

listed men, 490 French women and 466 Chinese, running two shifts 
daily. The following summary shows approximately the work 
accomplished in material shipped tup to June 1st: 

U.S. Rifles, complete 160,000 

U. S. Rifles, knocked down and serviceable parts 

shipped. 235,665 

Browning Auto Rifles . 8,250 

Browning Machine Guns 2,700 















































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 15 


Hotchkiss Ma¬ 
chine Guns. 2,000 

Vickers Machine 

Guns. 2,200 

German Machine 

Guns. 3,500 

Tripods, Machine 

Guns. 5,000 

Magazines, Misc..200,000 

Pistols,Colt A to. 

Cal. 45. 58,000 

Revolvers Colt, S. 

& W. Cal. 45. 16,600 

Bayonets,U.S. .180,000 

Bayonets, German. 15,000 


C - - 



GENERAT. PERSHING ADDRESSING THE TROOPS AT THE O. R. S. 


All gun sights, optical and other fire control instruments were 
handled by the Optical Repair Division. Many of the instruments 
w'ere received in a serious stage of deterioration due to lack of 
care, and it was only by prompt action on the part of this division 
that many of these exceedingly valuable instruments were saved. 
This work was undertaken by a force of two commissioned officers, 
101 enlisted men and thirty-eight French men and women. Fol¬ 
lowing is a summary of the fire control and optical instruments 
cleaned, repaired, packed and shipped ; 

Allied Instruments . 

Enemy Instruments . 

The making of all 
boxes and crates for the 
shipment of material 
was accomplished by the 
Woodworking Division 
with a force of 235 
white soldiers, sixty 
colored men, and fifty 
Chinese, working two 
shifts. Approximately 
80,000 boxes and crates, 
also 1,000 targets for the 
Army of Occupation 
were manufactured in 
this shop, along with a 
large quantity of other woodworking material. The following is an 
approximate summary of the principal work done: 

Gun tube boxes for 75 mm. Guns. . . 2200 

Recuperator crates 75 “ “ 1900 

Wheel “ “ “ “ “ 1900 

Trail brake and axle crates for 75 mm. Guns . 1900 

Spare part boxes . 1900 

Improvised landscape targets. 1010 

Packing blocks. 111500 

Breech and muzzle plugs. 10000 

Crates for German rifles .. . 7800 

Miscellaneous boxes cases and crates . 27000 



During this time the Construc¬ 
tion and Maintenance Division had 
a squad of twenty-five men work¬ 
ing continually on the salvaging of 
packing cases, and the Woodwork¬ 
ing Division kept another squad on 
the same work. The wood which 
came in during the winter months 
was so wet and green as to be un¬ 
suitable for the packing of the deli¬ 
cate optical instruments, and wood 
salvaged from broken rifle cases 
was used for this purpose. Several 
thousand rifle boxfes were saved, 
or the wood used in this way. 
The Motor Transportation Division overhauled and repaired 
tractors as follows: 


5-Ton Tractors . 48 

10-Ton Tractors . 202 

15-Ton Tractors . 101 

45 H.-P. Tractors . 1 

Total . 352 


Previous to May 6th, salvage material was handled by the Sal¬ 
vage Section of the Small Arms Division. The purpose of this 
section was to sort out the serviceable small arms, optical instru¬ 
ments, etc., and store them until needed by the repair divisions. 

On May 6th a new 
department, called the 
Salvage Department, 
consisting of four offi¬ 
cers and about 300 en¬ 
listed men and laborers 
was organized to clas¬ 
sify and list lots of con¬ 
demned material, which 
were offered for sale, and 
proposals accepted in 
the usual manner. Great 
difficulty was experienc¬ 
ed in sorting this mate¬ 
rial, due to the employ 
ment of Chinese laborers. Thousands of different articles, both allied 
and enemy, came in together with the salvage from the battlefields. 
These had to be sorted according to class, then separated into serv¬ 
iceable and unserviceable, and finally the unserviceable material was 
sorted according to kind of material, whether steel, brass, aluminum 
or wood. In less than a month after its organization the department 
had expandedtoaboutbOOemployeesand an immenseamountof mate¬ 
rial was sorted, loaded and shipped. Difficulties of shipping were 
greatly increased on account of the scarcity of suitable cars. Box 
cars were needed for more valuable material, and only certain kinds of 



32,208 

3,135 



ENEMY ARTILLERY PARKED NEAR ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOP 


ANOTHER PARK OF ENEMY ARTILLERY 


PILE OF MISCELLANEOUS SALVAGE 










































16 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



French cars were permitted to be used for this work. 
Up to June 25th, 700 cars, approximately 8,000 
tons, of the salvage had been sold and shipped, 43 
cars being the record for one day’s shipment, and 
it was estimated that there were still 200 carloads to 
be handled, practically all of which had been sold. 
Among the more important articles shipped were : 

86 Carloads of Scrap Brass, Approx. 1050 Tons 
122 Carloads of Scrap Steel “ 1400 “ 

99 Carloads of Scrap Iron “ 1100 “ 

163 Carloads of Scrap Wood “ 820 “ 

38 Carloads of Artillery Wheels. 


Summary, and Closing of the Shops 

The great amount of work accomplished since 
the armistice was done with a fluctuating personnel 
averaging 2,300soldiers, 900 Chinese, and 600 French 
civilians. The turnover in some months was as high 
as 65 per cent., because of the fact that men were 
constantly being evacuated to the United States. The 
older and usually the more experienced men were 
the first to be sent home under the rating system, 
and the problem of operating the plant and training 
new personnel at the same time was a most difficult 
one. It was very similar to the situation experienced 
during the construction period in the summer of 1918 when the 
men were being drawn from the construction work to supply 
Ordnance men to the armies. 

To maintain the men employed in the Shops the Military Depart¬ 
ment of the camp has had an average of 1,000 enlisted men em¬ 
ployed in the camp proper for the housing, feeding and entertain¬ 
ment of the men, bringing the total employees required to operate 
the Repair Shops up to an average of 4,800, with a maximum of 5,900. 

The work which was done here is of the utmost importance to 
the future of our army. The artillery and small arms was put in 
such shape that it can be stored for years without deterioration. 
Had this material been left behind in France we would have been in 
almost the same state of unpreparedness as we were before the war 


FRENCH GIRLS CLEANING AND PACKING SMALL ARMS FOR SHIPMENT TO THE U. S. 

On June 10th an embargo was placed on all shipments to Mehun 
from the Third Army, and on June 20th an embargo followed for 
material from all other points in France, Montoir being designated as 
the receiving point for the small amount of Ordnance remaining. By 
June 21st all artillery and most of the small arms had been completed 
and shipped, and on that date 1,000 men were placed in the evacua¬ 
tion camp to be ready to move to a port on June 25th. The following 
day 600 more men were drawn for evacuation on July 1st. June 28th 
was designated as the last working day for the French women, and 
June 30th as the last day for the remaining 2,700 soldiers. A Care¬ 
takers’ Detachment of seven officers and 250 enlisted men were 
left in charge of the camp and shops The final closing of the 
property records was left to this detachment 



♦ 

♦ ♦ 

♦ f f 
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 

« f ♦ 

V.V 

v,v 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 
♦ ♦ ♦ 

♦« 

♦ 




MISCELLANEOUS SALVAGE UNLOADED ALONG THE YARD TRACK FOR SORTING BEFORE BEING BROUGHT INTO THE SHOPS 





































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


17 


The following list is a tabulation of the 
principal items overhauled at the Mehun 
Shops and sent to the United States since 
the Armistice: 

Statement of Small Arms Material Shipped 


Browning Auto. Rifles.!. 13,247 

Browning Heavy Machine Guns . 3,456 

Colt Auto. Pistols, Cal. 45. 72,606 

Revolvers, S. & W. and Colt. Cal. 45. 20,655 

Hotchkiss M. G. (Repaired and Stored) 2,022 

Hotchkiss M. G. Tripods. 2,084 

U. S. Sabers. 2,552 

U. S. Rifles, Model 1903 and 1917 . 209,421 

U. S. Rifle Bayonets. 221,504 

U. S. Rifle Grenade Discharger. 1,777 

Vickers Machine Guns. 2,418 

Very Pistols, 25-mm. 3,399 

Very Pistols, 35-mm.. o84 

Bolts. 217,865 

Receivers . 246,109 

Upper Bands. 215,825 

German Rifles, . 72,908 

German Bayonets. 28,410 

German M. G. (light) Serv^iceable. 3,137 

German M. G. (light) Trophies . 706 

German M. G. (heavy) Serviceable. 1,415 

German M. U. (heavy) Trophies. 650 

German M. G. Tripods. 1,430 

German Sabers, Trophies. 16,210 

Statement of Enemy Artillery Shipped 

77-mm. Guns. 586 

88-mm.Guns (Anti-Aircraft). 14 

105-mm. Guns. 236 

130-mm. Guns..^.. 6 

150-mm. Howitzers.. 573 

170-mm. Railroad Mounts. 2 

210-mm. Howitzers. 106 

210-mm. Railroad Mounts.. 1 

240-mm. Railroad Mount. 1 

420-mm. Howitzeis. 2 

7.62-in. Russian Guns. 5 

76-mm. Trench Mortars . 461 

170-mm. Trench Mortars. 191 

245-mm. Trench Mortars. 207 

105-mm. Spare Howitzer Carriages. 672 

Caissons and Limbers. 4,231 

Other Vehicles. 343 

Statement of Allied Material Shipped 

75-mm. Guns, all models. 1,937 

4.7-in. Guns. 49 

155-mm. G. P. F. Guns . 144 

155-mm. Howitzers. 392 

8-in. B. L. Howitzer. 99 

9.2-in. B.L. Howitzers. 24 

240-mra. Howitzers.. 6 

75-mm. Caissons and Limbers, American 271 
75-mm. Caissons and Limbers, French ... 613 

155-mm. Howitzer Caissons and Limbers 240 

5-Ton Caterpillar Tractors. 36 

10-Ton Caterpillar Tractors. 202 

15-Ton Caterpillar Tractors. 98 


Statement of Optical Instruments Shipped 

Fire Control and Optical Instr. (Allied).. 32,238 
Fire Control and Optical Instr. (Enemy) 3,135 



MARSHAL RETAIN INSPECTING ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



marshal Retain after inspectin.s the Ordnance Repair Shops at Mehan on April 7, 1919, paid the following 
tribute : “If the Germans had had a chance to see this work before the Armistice they would have asked for it 
much sooner, because they would have had the conviction that America would go on until their complete crush¬ 
ing. I congratulate the Colonel, his staff, and every working man for the splendid work they have done.” 



REPAIRING U S RIFLES — SMALL ARMS SHOP 























































18 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 






380'MM. AUSTRIAN HOWITZER MOUNTED ON HEAVY WOODEN PLATFORM 


ORDNANCE MEN OVERHAULING ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD 






























































HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


19 



Officers Military Department: Lt. Col. A. G. Gillespie; Majors W. A. Sabin, M. F. McAleer; Captains J. O. Bradshaw, V. Barcus, K. J. Zellner, H. Tallant, T. K. Thompson, 
O. L. Hemphill, W. F. French, E. F. Westlake, C. McClure, T. M. Dunlap, W. W. Miller; 1st Lieuts., B. W. Perkins, V. G. Katzenstein, G. W. Watkins, E. V. Reed, L. Nichols, 
L. W. Webb, G. S. Schaller, G. H. Boyer, J. W. Shepheard, O. H. Waldschlager, L, D. Snyder, J, E. Downey, L. B, McCaffery, L. C. Gunther, R. M. Schiller; 2nd Lieuts,. 
H. O. Bernstrom, G. A. Giorloff, A. W. Quennell, L. J. Gage Jr., L. W. Cherry, D. A. Thompson, S. W. Emerick, F. J. O’Hearn, W. T. Ballantyne, M. A. Barancik, W. Hough. 
G. D. Wands, O. M. Olson, F. S. Kelley, D. F. Wilson, H. T. Cummings; 1st Lieuts., Chaplains F. Fehlner and C. J. Greene. 



Officers assigned to Shops: Lt. Col. A. B. Hubard, Lt. Col. W, W. Doe, Majors G. S. Brady, J. E. Ericson, O. V.Dodge, Jr., J. E. Tompkins ; Captains J. E. Felsted, G. D. Sturtevani, 
J. 0, Maxwell, D. J. Walsh, J. B. Haney, F. L. Peterson, J. F. Hanley, V. G. DeCamp, G. A. Wahl, W. S. Lawson, R. O. Hanson, A. Brest, J. W. Peairs, J. L. Aney, R. j. Ballard, 
C. Barnard, J. M. Barnard, P. J. Gaudreau, J, W, Hinchcliff, R. E. Hubert, C. H. Palmer, F. E. Rusk, E. G. Sanders ; First Lieutenants E. W. Tatman, K. D. Brown, B. C. Hoey, 
G. W. Brown, E. G. Lautz, E, A. L. Phelps, C. W. Tholen, L. A. M. Bushnell, J. E. Allen, B. D. Ballantine, L. A. Cady, J. E. Hancock,C. F. Jennings, R. S. Jones, A. F. Malow ; 
Second Lieutenants B. H. Wilder, T. W. King, C. T, Wilmot, H, Friedman, B. S. Long, B. L. Wilcox, C, P. Storms, A. A. Myrberg, I. L. McColister and J. M. Rawlins. 












20 


HISTQRY .OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 



COL^C.M. WESSON, Commanding Offickr, MAJ, J. E. ERICSON, Salvage Dept.,LT. COL. A. V. HUBARD, Inspection Dept,, LT. COL. W. W. DOE^ Shops Dept 

MAJ. S. HRADYvAdministration Dept.. MAJ. O. V, DODGE. Supply Dept., CAPT. W. F_ FRENCH, Ajjjutantj 







THE LAST OF THE 75-mm. GUNS BEING OVERHAULED AND CRATED, JUNE 20, 1919. ARTILLERY REPAIR SHOP 





























HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


21 



OFFICERS’ BALL TEAM: Lt. Quennel, COL. WESSON, Lt. COL. Doe, Capt. Hubert, Lt. King. 
Lt. Tholen, Lt. Schaller, Capt. French, Capt. Lawson. 



CAMP BASEBALL TEAM : L. Sapper, Theo. Flannigan, John Martin, Peter Lejeck, Chauncey O’Neill, James Killian, 
Ewald Henry, William Vardi^man, Harry B. Bates. Harry M. Crippen, Arlie Latham, Sam Bradshaw, “Lefty ” VerraN/ 

Johnny Johnson, James Whitk< Dan Gallagher (Trainer;, Alfred T. L. Yapp. 


I 












22 


HISTORY OF ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 




One of the most interesting post-Armistice accomplishments of the Ordnance Corps was the cleaning up of the army areas and the demolition of 
ammunition. The shells were carefully piled in shell holes or any depression in the ground and dynamite or some of the more sensitive sheils or 
bombs placed on top of the pile as a detonating charge. The fuse led to a fulminate detonator in this charge 


When a hole was not at hand the shells were sometimes piled on the surface. Trench mortar bombs piled for demolition, noses in to get full 
detonating effect. The winged trench mortar bombs on top are used to set off the pile because of their thin shell, and because their charge 

is very sensitive and powerful 


















HISTORY OF 


ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS 


23 




I'he Press Room of the Print Shcp: A well equipped commeKial plant. In the last five months approximately 2,000,000 impressions were made, 
i.:cludine forms for the shops, placards and passes for the Military Department, "*The Mehun News,*' and this History of the Ordnance Repair Shops. 


150 MM. GERMAN RIFLE AND CRADLE ON TRAVELING CARRIAGE. 







































































24 


' HISTORY OF ORDNANCP: REPAIR SHOPS 


arcs 




Memorial Day Services at Mehun Cemetery, May 30» 1919. 
Chaplain Fehlner Delivering Address. 





1 





































ORDNANCE REPAIR SHOPS, MEHUN, FRANCE, A. P. O. 741 

ATELIER DE MEHUN-sur-YEVRE, (Cher) 



PLAN OF SHOPS AND CAMP 


sc^Lt IN re£T 



























t 


4 



I 


* 


I 




4 


I 

« I 


> 


4 


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